Foundations for Development

The Pittsburgh region is a life sciences hotbed where more than 118 medical device companies and manufacturers employ roughly 4700 people. These companies, including Medrad, Respironics, Cohera Medical, and ALung Technologiescreator of the world's first commercial artificial lungare capitalizing on extensive research and development (R&D) from highly regarded universities and the support of organizations dedicated to assisting the growth of medical technology from southwestern Pennsylvania.

The University of Pittsburgh is home to the largest academic medical provider in the nation, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Among U.S. universities, it boasts the fifth-highest expenditure for medical sciences R&D, the fourth-largest amount of federal funding for the discipline, and the ninth-largest amount of funding from the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, Carnegie Mellon University, a world leader in robotics and computer science, does extensive R&D on robotic surgery and magnetic resonance imaging technologies.

In addition to academic centers, a variety of other organizations offer valuable resources for medical device manufacturers. The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse offers networking and funding opportunities, executives in residence, and 17,000 square feet of incubator space to local businesses.

The Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative provides workforce training, professional activities, and international network development. It also operates the National Tissue Engineering Center, which designs regenerative tissue engineering therapies for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Swanson Institute of Technical Excellence, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, assists entrepreneurs with new product development. In addition, companies looking to bring devices to the global marketplace can find a partner in Catalyst Connection, a regional consulting organization for manufacturers.